White House officials were asked to hand over their phones as the Trump administration stepped up its investigation into leaks about a Qatari-gifted plane expected to be used as Air Force One.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel led the investigation after President Donald Trump expressed anger over reports detailing security deficiencies in the Qatari-gifted aircraft, according to CNN.
"Leaks that jeopardize the safety of the president, his staff and the traveling press pool are dangerous and a threat to national security. The White House takes these leaks seriously and will do everything legally within its legal power to ensure the individual or individuals are caught and it does not happen again," a White House official said, according to the NY Times.
The investigation became public after The New York Times reported that the US Justice Department had issued subpoenas to four of its journalists who wrote about the plane's security issues. The newspaper has challenged the subpoenas in court, calling them "abusive and improper."
Investigators also questioned officials, including members of the US Secret Service who travelled with Trump on the Qatari plane trip to Turkey last week.
Some officials were asked to hand over their phones, although not everyone agreed to do so. The Secret Service also instructed its employees to direct any requests from outside investigators to the agency's lawyers.
Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, said, "We're not targeting reporters — they're material witnesses, just like a reporter would be a material witness to a car crash,” Mr. Blanche said, adding, “The question we want to ask them is who provided them with classified national security information."
The official said the administration considers such leaks a threat to national security and will use all legal means to identify those responsible.
According to CNN, after Trump arrived in Turkey for the NATO summit on the Qatari-gifted aircraft, security officials reviewed the plane and decided it was not safe enough for his return journey. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles then informed Trump that he would have to fly back on the older Air Force One instead "for old time's sake."
However, The New York Times reported that he switched planes because the Secret Service had security concerns about the new aircraft. Another report said the plane does not have the same defensive systems as the current Air Force One.
